Belyaev's experiment quite possibly showed how we have domestic dogs today through evolution. His studies showed that through natural selection, the foxes became more tame as the generations advanced. The fur color changed as well in the foxes. This suggests that the tameness gene had fur color attached to it in some way. This change in fur color may also be explained by human preferance to the colors and the foxes adapting to the human preferance.

About the Experiment

Belyaev was hired to breed foxes to be more tame but ended up experiencing much more. Selectively bred the most calm foxes togther. He experienced more changes in the foxes than just the tameness. He reviewed more evolutionary changes such as fur color, along with the foxes becoming more tame and even responding to their names.

The Evolutionary Story

Relation to Evolution

Dmitry Belyaev

There are two large pieces of evidence that suggest dogs and foxes are related. -They have comparative genetics (see cladogram) -They have observable similar characteristics. (see image)